LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[Second Reprint]
SENATE, No. 2346
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: JULY 3, 2025
SUMMARY
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Synopsis: |
Creates Code Red alert pilot program to shelter at-risk individuals during certain hot weather and air quality events; appropriates $5 million. |
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Type of Impact: |
One-time State expenditure increase; three-year local government expenditure increase; one-time local revenue increase. |
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Agencies Affected: |
Department of Law and Public Safety; Department of Environmental Protection; Department of Community Affairs; counties and municipalities. |
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Office of Legislative Services Estimate |
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Fiscal Impact |
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On-Time State Expenditure Increase |
$5 million |
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Three-Year Local Expenditure Increase |
$5 million |
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One-Time Local Revenue Increase |
$5 million |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that this bill would result in a one-time State expenditure increase of $5 million for the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management to implement the 10 county, three-year Code Red alert pilot program.
· The bill appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the State Office of Emergency Management, which will select 10 counties to participate in the Code Red pilot program. The office will issue a $500,000 grant to each county selected to participate in the pilot program to fund their costs under the program.
· The OLS notes that the annual costs incurred by local governments under the Code Blue alert program, which serves as the model for this pilot program and operates in a similar manner, were $1.9 million in FY 2022, $1.7 million in FY 2023, and $2.8 million in FY 2024.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill establishes a three-year pilot program in the State Office of Emergency Management in the Department of Law and Public Safety under which participating counties are to formulate plans for issuing a Code Red alert on extreme heat days and during air quality events to municipal governments, social service agencies, and non-profit organizations that provide services to certain at-risk individuals.
The State Office of Emergency Management will select 10 counties in the State to participate in the pilot program and each will receive a $500,000 grant. Priority will be given to counties with the highest documented homeless population as noted in the most recent Annual Point in Time Count.
This bill requires that each participating county’s office of emergency management, or appropriate office, in consultation with the Office of Homeless Prevention in the Department of Community Affairs, will coordinate with municipal emergency management coordinators in municipalities with a documented homeless population of at least 10 sheltered or unsheltered people in developing consistent Code Red alert plans throughout the county that provide for communication and outreach, emergency cooling centers, and transportation during implementation of a Code Red alert plan.
The bill requires each municipality, social service agency, and non-profit organization to report the location of its cooling centers to the Department of Environmental Protection to be included in the Heat Hub NJ’s Chill Out NJ public resource.
The bill requires that each county and municipality be responsible for (1) notifying the State Office of Emergency Management of the county’s lead agency for the pilot program and providing updated contact information; and (2) making information on the Code Red alert plan available to the public on each county and municipality website or as otherwise directed by the State Office of Emergency Management.
The bill requires the State Office of Emergency Management to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on the pilot program and to recommend whether or not to make the program permanent.
The bill provides “Good Samaritan” protection from civil liability to the State and local governments and their employees, as well as to volunteer organizations and their members who, during implementation of a Code Red alert plan, provide emergency cooling centers to at-risk individuals.
The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the State Office of Emergency Management the sum of $5 million for the office to provide $500,000 grants to each county selected to participate in the pilot program.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS concludes that this bill would result in a one-time State expenditure increase of $5 million for the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management to implement the 10 county, three-year Code Red alert pilot program.
Three-Year State Expenditure Increase: The bill appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the State Office of Emergency Management. The office will select 10 counties to participate in the Code Red pilot program and those counties will each receive a $500,000 grant to participate in the pilot program.
Some costs associated with administration of the grant may be incurred by the State Office of Emergency Management. In addition, the State and local governments may incur increased expenditures following the conclusion of the pilot program to prepare a report on the Code Red alert pilot program for the Governor and the Legislature. Depending on the offices resource allocation policies, the added initial workload may or may not augment the administrative expenditures of the offices. The OLS notes that the annual costs incurred by local governments under the Code Blue alert program, which serves as the model for this pilot program and operates in a similar manner, were $1.9 million in FY 2022, $1.7 million in FY 2023, and $2.8 million in FY 2024.
Three-Year County Expenditure and Revenue Increase: The 10 counties approved to take part in the Code Red pilot program will receive grants of $500,000 each. These grants would represent one-time revenue increases to those entities for their costs under the three-year program.
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Section: |
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Analyst: |
Lead Fiscal Analyst |
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Approved: |
Thomas Koenig Legislative Budget and Finance Officer |
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).